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Description: A synthetic narcotic, fentanyl has been detected in an increasing number of illicit drug overdose deaths in Metro Vancouver. Many of the people who died were recreational and/or occasional users and don’t appear to have known they were ingesting fentanyl, as it is easily hidden in other drugs.

Police incident snarls traffic in downtown Vancouver

Police barricaded Dunsmuir Street at Granville Street in downtown Vancouver to deal with an unknown incident at The Hudson condominium building. The area was closed down for much of the morning rush hour. November 20, 2013.

Photograph by: Jenelle Schneider
, PNG

VANCOUVER - A police incident that snarled traffic in downtown Vancouver for a couple of hours this morning has been resolved.

A young man dressed in shorts was hanging off a balcony somewhere between the 12th and 15th floor of an apartment tower at Dunsmuir and Granville streets.

Brian Montague, a spokesman for the VPD, said officers successfully negotiated with the man to climb back inside the building at around 10:30 a.m.

He said police do not yet know what the man's motive was or whether drugs or alcohol are involved.

About a dozen police cars were parked around the area of Dunsmuir and Granville with a mobile command centre. It slowed traffic to a standstill and drew many onlookers who stood around the scene snapping pictures with their smartphones.

TransLink spokesman Derek Zabel said buses were moving slowly in the area and there were some delays, but no significant disruptions to report..

Police barricaded Dunsmuir Street at Granville Street in downtown Vancouver to deal with an unknown incident at The Hudson condominium building. The area was closed down for much of the morning rush hour. November 20, 2013.